John Hopkinson, Spitfires Over Yeadon, 1939 – 1945

We have been following the wartime memories of John Denison “A Teenager In Wartime Yeadon”
This is an email received from John Hopkinson who now lives in California.
I had never been told or read anywhere up to publishing the last piece from John Denison about the noise which was present in Yeadon from aircraft engines during the war.

“Dear Carlo,
This fits in completely with my memories, I was five when the war broke out, I remember the constant drone of engines on test bed run-ins.
I did not know it was on Carlton, I guessed it was the Avro factory itself.
At 33 Gill Lane, Nether Yeadon, the noise was a constant, and very noticeable.
I vividly remember the Spitfires coming over us on take off.
We were right under the flight path, and as small boys, reveled in it.
We would run around, making engine noises, arms stretched out, and thumbs forward like Brownings and of course, taka taka taka, taka taka !
They used the very same thing when they made “Battle of Britain”
Like Robert Shaw’s character, trying to teach the pilots. “Hun in the Sun” and taka taka taka, taka taka !

I was at an airshow at Duxford, several years ago.
The piece de resistance was a single Spit XIX fly past at 50 feet, full bore Merlin, and he turned vertical just before he reached my position, zoomed to 1200 feet, and an Immelman off the top.

As I am auditory, not visual, the sound was magnificent to me.
Took me right back to 1940.

As you can tell, it will be with me till my dying day.
I had not bought a video camera, and for ever wish that I had – just for that day.

As small boys we had a dish, which we called “Hitler’s Pudding”
the recipe called for water, mud, stones and broken glass.
All well stirred and served stone cold.
John Hopkinson.

Pasadena, California.

September 2013.